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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · drill · lean · pitch · branch · fall · tube · ruler

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. drill — army training
  4. branch — a division
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — to bend
  18. file — a line of people
  19. tube — a container
  20. file — a tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. file — a document
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com